Considering a Nip or Tuck? Be Sure to Ask These Questions Before Plastic Surgery

Whether it’s an attempt to look a little younger or to contour the body after massive weight loss, plastic surgery is serious business and carries serious risks if not performed by a surgeon certified by the American Board of Plastic Surgery.

Furthermore, many people who undergo a surgical procedure are not always coached about having realistic expectations about the outcome.

Some people who have major weight loss or gastric bypass surgery, for example, have sagging skin that did not shrink after losing the weight.They lack the “snap-back quality” of skin, said Bootstaylor, who was Georgia’s first board certified female African American plastic surgeon.

Patients should also consult with their physicians to determine the possibility of adverse scarring or hyper- or hypopigmentation before undergoing surgery.

• You should choose a doctor based on the doctor’s education, training, experience and proven competence with respect to the specific procedure you are considering.

• You should become informed regarding how often the doctor performs the procedure and whether the doctor has had claims against him or her with respect to the procedure or any other cosmetic procedure.

• You should review before-and-after photographs of other patients who have had the same procedure performed by the doctor you are considering.

• You should also speak with other patients, whenever possible, who have had the procedure performed by the doctor you are considering.